From MLK to Trayvon Martin: The Fight Against Racism Continues

Thursday, August 8, 2013 - 7:00pm

Join us in a discussion with Gary Younge﻿, Guardian columnist and author of The Speech: The Story Behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream.

Fifty years after the March on Washington Americans are once again taking to the streets to protest racism.

Following the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's killer, George Zimmerman, vigils and demonstrations have sprung up all over the country, focusing attention on the upcoming rally in Washington DC to mark the anniversary of the event where King delivered his “I have a dream” speech.

Half a century later we have a black president but its still perfectly legal to shoot a young black man dead on his way home from the store because you don't like the look of him.

What are the parallels between now and then? How much has really changed? How much remains the same? And what are the prospects for revitalising and reinventing the civil rights movement to meet the challenges of today.

Come be a part of the discussion and building the movement to fight racism.

Sponsored by the Northern California International Socialist Organization and Haymarket Books.

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It was a sweltering eighty-seven degrees when Martin Luther King Jr. took the stage at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. He was the final speaker after a long day. The crowd, which numbered in the tens of thousands, had begun to leave. King took a deep breath and threw back his shoulders. ‘I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.'—From the Introduction

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his powerful “I Have a Dream Speech” on August 28, 1963. Fifty years later, the speech endures as a defining moment in the civil rights movement. It continues to be heralded as a beacon in the ongoing struggle for racial equality. This gripping book unearths the fascinating chronicle behind “The Speech” and the revealing events surrounding the March on Washington.

Gary Younge is a columnist for The Guardian and The Nation. His books include Who are We, Should it Matter In the 21st Century and No Place Like Home, shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.